Australian trade officials recently met with their Canadian counterparts to object to extra taxes and mark-ups on imported wine sold in Canada that the Australian wine industry believes breach international trade rules and threaten Australian wine sales.

The fight over the project, which would carry Alberta bitumen through B.C. to the coast, has pitted the two NDP-led governments against each other for months. The spat became more heated earlier this year when B.C. said it would not allow increased oil flow until more research is completed on pipeline safety and spill response. B.C. backed down after Alberta suspended imports of B.C. wine.

Word of the pending ruling was the talk of the day at the ninth annual wine law seminar that Seattle-based Law Seminars International hosted in Vancouver on Feb. 26, days after Alberta called off a ban on imports of B.C. wine implemented in response to B.C.'s opposition to construction of a pipeline carrying bitumen from Alberta to processing facilities in Vancouver

A former diplomat, Colin Robertson is vice-president and fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute: For Canada, Trump times are trying times. In spite of constant provocation, the team around Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's team has successfully avoided making our policy differences personal. This is the right approach.

The Bacchanalia Gala Dinner + Auction kicked off the 40th Vancouver International Wine Festival on February 24 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver with a spectacular evening of wine and food, topped by a thrilling live auction

Palate PressTaking it Slow in Central Otago (Part 1)August 30thChallenged by climate change, lack of available land and rising production costs, some of Burgundy’s top producers have established wineries in Oregon. But the more adventuresome are now flying much further afield — to New Zealand’s Central Otago.